Purdue awards Daniels $210K in bonuses, bringing total pay to $830K

Purdue University says trustees have approved $210,000 in bonuses for President Mitch Daniels for meeting goals in fundraising, student success and other areas, bringing his 2018 compensation to $830,000.

The Lafayette Journal & Courier reports that the total figure represents an 8 percent increase over his previous year's compensation of $769,500. It includes a $200,000 retention bonus.

Daniels lived up to 100 percent of his goals for the year, giving him the maximum allowable compensation under his contract, trustees said.

Trustee Tom Spurgeon says 2018 was "a year of ups and higher ups." Daniels "continually entertains the question, 'What's next?'"

Trustees say Purdue raised $452 million from more than 86,000 people in 2017, froze tuition and improved graduation rates.

Daniels, who served as governor of Indiana from 2004 to 2012, became Purdue's president in early 2013. In April, Purdue trustees approved extending his contract beyond 2020 in a deal that will pay him up to $930,000 a year.

Daniels’ compensation ranked 27th among presidents at public universities, according to an annual survey released in July by the Chronicle of Higher Education. His salary, based on 2017 figures, ranked No. 7 among the 13 public schools in the Big Ten. His $830,000 would have ranked No. 4, if no other salaries changed.

Ohio State’s Michael Drake, at $1,073,272 was at the top of that survey. Indiana University’s Michael McRobbie was listed by the Chronicle at $630,517, after being listed slightly over $1 million for the year before that.